| Pos. 19th (20 pts) | WEDNESDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2019 | Pos. 17th (23 pts) | ||
| Boro | 1-0 | Charlton | ||
| Saville (1) | 44% 23(3) 4 15 |
POSSESSION SHOTS (on target) CORNERS FOULS |
56% 5(2) 5 20 |
|
Saville strike suits Boro
The Addicks arrived on Teesside with a few injury concerns of their own as two old mates went head to head in the dugout Championship survival stakes. Their list of sidelined players was as bad as Boro’s if not even worse but they did have some positive midweek news in that talismanic Striker Lyle Taylor and Chuks Aneke should both be available for this afternoons game if not as starters then certainly from the bench. Both are big 6ft plus lads so add a bit of height to the Addicks attack. Conor Gallagher would also be available for them after serving a suspension but they would still be without suspended Centre Back Tom Lockyer.
Boro’s injury list was eased slightly with the news that Browne and Gestede were close to being back and that Britt was sufficiently patched up to go again. There were however reports of several ill players after a virus had hit the Boro camp so the line up could have a very unfamiliar look to it or as some of the assembled in the concourses muttered, “getting the excuses in early”.
Despite being three places and six points ahead of Boro the Addicks were in terrible form prior to this afternoon’s game being bottom of the Championship Form table for the last ten games with just six points compared to Boro’s eight. This was a must win for Boro but also very winnable coming at an opportune time as the Club played down “fake” media speculation linking them with unemployed Managers.
The lunch time kick off saw Huddersfield lose to Leeds which was an early bonus for both these sides. Boro team news had a surprise with Clayts restored alongside Saville in midfield in place of McNair and Wing. Nineteen-year-old Djed Spence earned a debut for the injured Dijksteel and Coulson returned at the back with Bola making way. Wing presumably was suffering an illness as he wasn’t even on the bench. Five changes and a surprise debut for Charlton with the experienced Joe Ledley who had been without a club and only joined them this week.
The game commenced in a sparsely populated and quiet Riverside with very few Addicks travelling up for the game but that changed quickly when Clayton battled a series of midfield challenges to play in Spence who in turn fed Howson then after a deflected shot from Britt it came out to Fletcher whose follow up effort was smothered by Phillips with the ball breaking to Saville who struck calmly and cleanly to put Boro one up with less than a minute gone. The perfect start and probably far better than anyone had dared hope or wished for.
Charlton struggled for the next five minutes to clear their heads but Boro were looking lively with Spence now involved in a few good moves as Boro looked to put Charlton to the sword. Saville looked to add his second on eight minutes as he curled a low shot just wide of Phillips in the Charlton goal. A minute later and Fletcher played a ball across the goal mouth but there was nobody in a Red shirt to take advantage with Coulson conceding a free kick for his over exuberance on Ledley in trying to keep the move alive.
A very positive opening quarter of an hour from Boro with both Spence and Coulson very lively. Clayton was involved in the build up to the goal and the other boo boy Saville had put us in front. Britt and Fletcher were both looking hungry and over all we were good value for the lead. A cheeky shot from distance by Coulson just went over as Dillon Phillips was caught off his line. Boro were looking to keep pressing sensing that this Addicks defence looked vulnerable.
Ayala conceded a dubious free kick to Charlton which was sent into the Boro box by Ledley but sailed wide for a goal kick which Pears took his time over on twenty minutes. Spence again got down the flank and got his cross in towards Fletcher but Oshilaja went down in the Charlton box after a clash of heads. Coulson cut inside on twenty-six minutes and the ball spun to Clayts but he was adjudged to have handled as Charlton continued to look susceptible defensively. Spence once again turned Charlton defender Purrington as he robbed him to feed Britt. He got his shot off on twenty-eight minutes but was blocked and his follow up went flying over in typical Britt fashion. The half hour mark ticked over and Pears hadn’t a save to make as Boro looked comfortable and by far the more dominant side with both young wing backs having a great game.
Coulson played a ball into the danger zone but a challenge on Tavernier was just enough to put him off with his volleyed effort going wide. Seconds later Clayton crossed to Britt whose header missed the target as Boro were building momentum and looking dangerous. Saville went up for a header landing awkwardly on his back like a ton of bricks on the Riverside turf. Fortunately, he dusted himself down and got on with things after a few anxious moments.
A few minutes before half time there was a bit of concern again, this time for Clayts as he took a heavy knock from Gallagher but he wasn’t going to give up so easily after getting a start for the first time in ages. A handball from a prostrate Oshilaja was a nailed on yellow after first pulling Saville back but the Ref saw it differently and kept his cards in his pocket. Another run from Spence created an appreciative round of spontaneous applause, this time it was Doughty on the receiving end of the lively debutant. Applause broke out a minute later when Ref Stephen Martin’s whistle went for the end of the half which started well for Boro and continued in that vein but the margin despite being by far the better side was still just a solitary goal.
The half time team talk was probably the easiest one the Home dressing room had seen for a while after a better than average Boro display. Lee Bowyer on the other hand would have been extremely grateful that his side were still in this game after a very poor first half which illustrated clearly exactly why the visitors were sitting bottom of the form table.
Morgan and supposed ex Boro target Lyle Taylor came on for the Addicks at the restart giving Boro something different to worry about in the second half although “worry” was probably a tad generous as Charlton hadn’t remotely worried Boro at all in the first half. Joe Ledley had made way for Taylor and Purrington went off for Morgan. Taylor was instantly involved in the opening seconds clearly wanting to make his mark after an injury lay off. Spence won a throw in off Morgan who looked as though he was going to suffer just as difficult a second half as Purrington had endured in the first.
A Tavernier shot after Howson and Spence started a slick move via Saville went out for a corner four minutes into the half. Charlton responded by breaking down the left and won a corner of their own as Lee Bowyer had presumably rattled a few cages at half time. The early indication was that Charlton now looked far less lethargic. Advancing, Coulson skinned Pratley and crossed to Britt who was unlucky as his effort was deflected into the arms of Phillips. Ayala then had to concede a corner after an error from Fry allowed Taylor in. Coulson broke away from the clearance and was cynically taken out by Gallagher who blatantly blocked him off and in doing so earned the afternoon’s first yellow.
Britt was breaking clear and scythed down by Pratley to prevent Boro notching a second. Britt looked to be in serious pain and angry as he felt his ankle. Ref Stephen Martin reached for his second yellow and entered Pratley into his book. Tyrone O’Neill was asked to warm up as Britt received treatment, struggling to get back onto his feet and looking dejected as he hobbled off the pitch. Spence meanwhile sent a brilliant ball into Tavernier into the Charlton box who incredibly missed when scoring was easier. Britt made his way off the pitch giving an opinion to the Charlton bench en route as Stephen Walker came on to replace him.
Coulson won a free kick as he once again sizzled down the Charlton right flank. Tavernier delivered the kick in towards Ayala but Phillips caught the ball cleanly. Relentless Boro came back at Charlton as they tried in vain to clear their lines and it was Coulson again who was the object of some rough-house tactics from the visitors going down under the attentions of Leko who picked up the visitors third yellow.
The first real Charlton threat came from Gallagher whose shot went well wide on seventy minutes as Boro were reminded that their lead was a very slender one. That half time rollicking from Bowyer had an impact on the visitors as they were much more aggressive and looked to be trying to nick that elusive equaliser. A Boro free kick sent in towards Ayala was cleared but Boro recycled possession with Clayton and Coulson who won a corner on the left and after a scuffed effort it went out for a goal kick with fifteen minutes remaining and that second goal just wouldn’t come.
Another fee kick to Boro twenty yards out after Tavernier was brought down saw Tav take it himself but his effort cleared both the Charlton wall and Crossbar. Walker rescued a poor pass played behind him and then Saville and Fletcher combined well forcing Phillips into a save conceding a Boro corner. Fry met the corner but as Charlton cleared their lines Howson had to be alert to cut out the danger. Taylor then had a blocked shot from which Coulson set Boro away again on the attack with ten minutes remaining. Charlton won a corner after Leko hit the ball off Clayton as they mounted a late surge to rescue a point. Doughty’s corner was initially cleared by Ayala which came back straight in requiring Pears to be alert. Boro then broke away with Walker but with glory in his eyes he lost possession instead of feeding in the screaming Tavernier.
Seconds later it was Walker again who broke behind the Charlton defence after Saville played him in but he fluffed his lines by putting it over when he seemed nailed-on as incredibly Boro once again missed another great opportunity. Clayton played in Saville who nearly broke through as the game was ebbing and flowing as Charlton came back with Morgan unleashing a fierce shot from outside the box at the South Stand goal but Pears got down and parried it clear.
That Pears save meant that Boro hearts were momentarily removed from mouths with a few heavy looking legs in Red Shirts. Fletcher clumsily caught Morgan with two minutes of normal time remaining to collect Boro’s first yellow. Charlton took advantage of the resulting set piece with Pears punching clear but it came straight back at Boro and Pears this time had to save from Gallagher with a minute remaining. Boro were looking weary and Charlton now sensing that equaliser. Boro broke with Spence and Tavernier took the ball out wide to try and soak up some time. Four minutes was held up as Charlton now threw everything at Boro, Spence blocked then Howson tried to clear it and won a free kick to allow some more deep gulps of air.
Pears went long with the free kick which was cleared and came straight back at us. Clayton won then lost a midfield scrap with Tav cleaning up with things out on the pitch looking chaotic. Clayton went long to clear as Boro tried once again to hold the ball up. Saville then found himself grappled winning a free kick as Boro took their time with it. Tavernier then stupidly conceded a free kick for handling the ball and as Charlton looked to get up the pitch once more the whistle went to end the suffering and give all three points to Boro.
After such a brilliant start to the game it had ended with nails bitten to the quick. MOM for me was Djed Spence, to come into the side and perform like that was a fairy tale. Hayden Coulson was equal on the other side and was worthy of the award himself but for me Spence just edged it by the very finest of margins. He added much needed pace and zest on the right and in doing so provided both an outlet and kept his opposing number back. Coulson had done the same on the opposite side. The pair were both instrumental in keeping pressure off our defence whilst being a serious creative force.
There were some other good performances, notably from Clayton, Saville, Howson, Tavernier and Ayala. There were plenty of opportunities to score a few more goals and we should have had at least two more but three points are three points when you are scrapping for survival. Reality is that it was against a side that looked very poor in the first half and after that great start we failed to kill the game off as a contest as we should have done by half time but considering where we are perhaps we shouldn’t be too greedy plus we witnessed the birth of what looks like an enterprising pair of Wing Backs.